some highlights:
it was already way past 8 by the time purpleman arrived in paris, so we thought we'd just go for a quick bite. but we ended up having a great meal at chez justine, a restaurant-bar several blocks from our hotel.
it was a friday night and the place was literally overflowing with young parisians. with a crowd at the bar and some even standing outside with their wine glasses, we assumed there would be no tables, but it turned out they were just having their friday drinks and we were quickly seated near the back of the restaurant. my pork and purpleman's duck confit were excellent, thanks to the recommendation of our friendly neighbor (who spoke perfect english and french --envy!). the place even had live guitar and vocal performance later in the evening, a surprise treat. a bit chaotic and definitely more casual compared to le pamphlet, where we ate (very well) the following night, but a generous treat to the senses just the same and a great start to the trip.
l'as du falafel has a special place in my heart. i remember coming here on one of my solo travels, and the food filled me with such warmth i felt so much happier and comfortable the rest of my trip. i still think the falafel sandwich here is one of the best of its kind. and i can't get enough of the tahini sauce. purpleman and i were so absorbed in our mouthfuls of "falafel special" that we just munched in silence for a while... and as a result we couldn't help but eavesdrop on the two american girls sitting next to us discussing their diets and the need for more democracy in the third world.
we also had a good meal at les philosophes in the marais, although what i remember most is the golden tarte tatin. partly because we had to wait so long for it... the memory of it makes my mouth water. yum, yum...
l'estaminet, the bistro where i had lunch alone on the first day, was so nice i had to go back with purpleman. a very laid-back and cozy place, but the menu du jour was full of choices, with dishes like boudin blanc, andouillete, etc. we opted for the two-course meal, and i had duck gizzard and liver in red wine sauce, with salad.
our last dinner was at l'astier near parmentier. everything was excellent, and my only regret: i ate so much that by the time the fabulous cheese platter came around, i could only try a little bit. next time, i want a little bit of everything! the desserts were great too, especially purpleman's pistachio creme brulee, but our stomachs were about to explode by the end of the meal.
in fact, we were nearly bursting after every meal throughout the whole trip. but we did do a lot of walking in between and we were usually quite hungry by the next meal, so i suppose it wasn't that unhealthy. we ended up dining mostly in the marais-oberkampf districts, close to our hotel. it was nice to be able to walk home after meals --and we certainly needed the exercise.
